L2-16a. Ruby Processional Anteroom
Basalt blocks and bronze trim frame a compact chamber. In the center, a 5-foot round floor sigil of the Ruby Skull-Star is cut into the stone, its inlay dark with age.
A square stone coffer stands along the north wall; to the south, neat stacks of long bones wait in cradle-racks. Against the east wall, a low altar-table lies slightly shoved askew, its twin metal candle-holders bent, a lidded incense vessel between them. The southeast corner has given way: fractured stone falls to a rough cavern opening, warm air breathing up from below.
A square stone coffer stands along the north wall; to the south, neat stacks of long bones wait in cradle-racks. Against the east wall, a low altar-table lies slightly shoved askew, its twin metal candle-holders bent, a lidded incense vessel between them. The southeast corner has given way: fractured stone falls to a rough cavern opening, warm air breathing up from below.
The Ruby Anterite
(light–incense rite; player-skill, no check)
Intent: last-minute composure before processions.
- Place one candle in each holder.
- Light left → right, counting softly one… six.
- On the sixth beat, waft the incense lid once over the center floor sigil and set it between the candles.
- Ring the prayer bell once.
Success (observe order & six-count):
- For 1 hour, up to two creatures present gain Ruby Composure: advantage on the next Wisdom save vs. fear/charm or an undead aura; once the benefit triggers, it ends.
- Room becomes sanctified: the first Attention gained here or in the adjacent hall is ignored (min 0).
Fail-forward (wrong order, noisy):
- A candle spatters and goes out; the room records +1 Attention. Reattempt after 1 minute.
Notes: Using funerary myrrh (from L2-03 / L2-11e) in the brazier adds a soft +1 hp to any single healing effect cast within the next hour in this chamber only.
Hazards & movement
- Collapsed edge. Traversing the broken SE corner requires DEX (Acrobatics) DC 10 or slide 8 ft to the ledge (no damage, but +1 Attention from clatter).
- Downclimb. Athletics DC 8 to lower yourself safely; failure = 1d4 bludgeoning from a short tumble.
- Cavern sign. Warm draft, red grit, and a faint ember smell suggest the Under-Ash network (connect to your L2-09 web).
Interactions & clues
- Old Suloise / Religion (lore reward, not a gate): Reading the ring text confirms this is a pre-processional cell; the six pips on the altar rim mirror the six-count of the rite.
- Prayer bell. A single soft ring at the end of the rite causes the floor sigil to pulse once (flavor) and settles nerves—use to cue the boon.
- True-Square & brace-nails. If the party uses either on the altar-table, they can re-square it quickly, removing a lingering +1 Attention if already accrued here.
Occupants & pressure
- Default: Vacant, the air scented with old resin.
- On Attention ≥ 2 while the party remains here: a Ruby Ghoul and 1d2 Ruby Zombies nose in from the Great Hall side within 1d4 rounds, curious about the bell.
Treasure (light, thematic)
- Incense sticks (6). Each can be burned during a rest to grant advantage on one Religion check about Suel funerary customs or disadvantage on a single undead’s Insight to read the burner’s intent (flavorful edge).
- Candle-holders (pair). Worked bronze, 25 gp as art; valuable to Suel sympathizers.
- Ruby chalk (1 use) and brace-nails (6) from the coffer.
Boxed outcomes
- Rite observed (boon): Candlelight steadies; incense threads coil over the ruby sigil. The bell’s single chime lingers like a breath held—and the room feels kinder.
- Rite fumbled (noise): A candle spits and gutters; ash skitters across the floor. The quiet seems to tighten rather than ease.
- Edge misstep (down to ledge): Stone cracks underfoot and slides—your stomach drops with it. You land hard on a narrow shelf, warm draft in your face and darkness yawning east.
Ruby Processional Anteroom by 3orcs
At-a-glance (DM quick)
- Where: East wall of L2-16. Great Crypt Hall of the Six, first door (≈ one-third up the hall).
- Size/shape: 15′ × 15′ square; SE corner collapsed into a natural cavern aperture leading east.
- Function: Preparation cell for priests and pall-bearers—light, incense, and last words before entering the Great Hall.
- Tone: Quiet, resin-sweet, with a faint draft from the break; geometry and six-count everywhere.
- Win: Observe the Ruby Anterite (simple incense rite) for a small boon, or secure/study useful supplies; the collapse offers a side route (risk).
Features
- Center floor sigil (5′ disc). The Wee Jas emblem rendered in spare Suel line-work. Old Suloise ring text: “Measure holds; Law witnesses.”
- North coffer (stone). Unlocked; holds folded funerary vestments (2 sets), a prayer bell (soft chime), wax tablets (blank), ruby chalk (1 use), and a brace-nail set (6).
- South bone stacks. Three tidy rows of cleaned femurs & tibiae for symbolic use in rites; disturbing them loudly is +1 Attention.
- East altar-table. Basalt slab with two bronze candle-holders and a pierced brass incense canister (sticks within). Small ruby pips dot the rim at six points.
- Collapse aperture (SE). A 4–5′ irregular breach dropping 8 ft to a narrow ledge above a natural tunnel sloping east (toward your cavern web). Warm, ashy draft; distant drip.
Exits
- West (back through the door): to L2-16. Great Crypt Hall of the Six.
- SE breach, down to ledge: natural tunnel east (to your cavern system).
Type
Room, Common, Antechamber
Parent Location
Owning Organization
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